You Will Find Him
by IcyJade2007
Summary: Reader/Gary, written in 2nd person. It all started with a tiny crush, a fling. Your innocent crush soon takes you on an epic rescue mission to save the agency. With only your small team of four, can you stop Herbert in time? Can you save the island from freezing over? And worst of all, can you tell Gary how you REALLY feel? Reviews would be awesome!
1. Chapter 1: INNOCENT

**You Will Find Him **

**By: IcyJade2OO7 **

**So yeah, this is a Gary the Gadget Guy/Reader, for all those nerdy penguins who can't get enough of that blue hunk pure nerd! Kind of based on spoilers and sneak peaks for Operation: Blackout. **

**Enjoy! =D WADDLE ON!**

* * *

You blink. You have no idea what just happened. Gary just _smiled _at you.

That was all! And yet you feel sick to your stomach. He's smiled at you hundreds of times before, but this one was different. Suddenly, an erg to see that wonderful smile crosses your mind. You have to see that smile again!

"Hey urm, G, What's 23,405 multiplied by 76 squared?"

He think for a moment. Oh, how _adorable _he is when he's thinking hard…

"135,187,280. Still trying to stump me? Your getting better agent. But, still not enough." Not only does he _smile, _he _winks_. You almost explode. Your throat closes and you can hardly breath. You feel a small blush creeping on your cheeks, and so not to be spotted you hide your face in your phone. No need to worry G… The Elite Gear suddenly seems very interesting…

Oh no, Your reflection in your spy phone shows that your red condition is getting worse each time you look at him. You make up an excuse, "G I think I might, I should be getting home, to-to my igloo. My puffle would be, is urm, worried…"

"Well alright Agent. If you're so sure… Be back in time tomorrow for your next Field Op?"

"Of course G." You mumble as your quickly waddle (which is a feat in itself besides hiding your red face) to the Transport Tube. What happened back there!? Usually you laugh at his lopsided grin but it was different back there.. It was less lopsided and more appealing. You push the strange thought away and shove the feelings of desire for that same smile down to the pits where you try and forget about it. However, you can't…

As you enter into the Ski Village, you look back upon the Telephone building and reminisce about the beginnings of PSA. You and G have been through it all together. From the missing puffles, to the missing coins and clock tower pieces, to when the Sports Shop was destroyed. Oh you remember the look of devastation on Gary's face when he learned his beloved lab was destroyed also! You couldn't stand the poor inventor's glum mood and took him later for pizza, coffee and biscuits, and then dancing. You giggle at the memory of his awkward dance moves that were so terrible that Cadence came out just to scold him! Your heart beats faster when you remember that confused and dazed half smile that was all the same adorable…

Stop it! You hiss to yourself as you pinch your arm. You can't say that your boss' awkward smile is adorable! You wonder why you're feeling this way. You've never felt this way about anyone before! This emotion was so confusing! What is it? Friendship? Nervousness? _Happy_? Or is it…

Oh no, your inner voice tells you something that makes you want to hide under your bed and never come back out. No! An agent is not supposed to feel this way! However, all the evidence is right here!

The desire for his smile!

The unexplained blush!

The happy reminiscing about him!

The formal awkward smile now seems so much more adorable!

It's quite simple, really.

You're in love with Gary the Gadget Guy.

* * *

Your flipper bangs open the door to your small igloo. Oh no. no no no no this not good! You flop down on your bed after a long walk to your home. Your puffle greets you with its nonstop enthusiasm as you trudge in.

"Hi there little buddy. Oh no! You will not believe what happened today!"

It raises its head in interest. You sigh hopelessly. You explain everything. Along with many anecdotes about your travels, misshapes, and friendship, you tell your puffle your deepest confessions on this man. How when he smiles a whole bunch of fireworks explode in your stomach. How when he toys with his gadgets you can't help but stare at his focus and how _cute _he is when he's working. How his spectacles just add to his undeniable charm.

You look at the clock. Arg! Two hours have passed! Your cheeks drop and you face plant the pillow. "Oh no! This isn't good! I've just spent two and half hours talking about my love _for my boss_!"

You puffle shrugs and squeaks. _Well, I wouldn't call him your _boss _strictly speaking. I think he's just a coworker with a lot of experience! _

Well. You guess that's true. But that's besides the point. You can't love him, you just can't! It's unnatural. Besides, who knew if you even _loved _ him? Maybe it just a deeper level of friendship. The blush comes back as you realize the level deeper of "Best Friends Forever" is romance. You've now just fallen into a pit. And you worry if you'll ever get back out!

Your puffle rubs against your tired arms in a way to comfort you. You smile as it does. You take the small creature in your flippers and hug it. You pull the covers up and let your head fall against the soft pillow. As you do so, you hope that this whole thing is just a fling and will blow over in the morning. Everything will be better in the morning.

* * *

"Ok Fluffy! Today's the day!" you sing, "Today's the day I'm finally going to tell Gary how I feel!"

Your puffle squeaks, honks, and flips as you beam. Three months. Three long months building up the courage to tell Gary how you feel. It never blew over. It never _will_ blow over. Those weeks wasted just thinking that it would! No, you love Gary the Gadget Guy and always will!

You check your hair in the mirror, making sure it's presentable and spiffy. Gary is always well groomed, so why shouldn't you be? You take a deep, cooling breath for you feel like your on fire from all this anxiousness! Your puffle jumps up and down with excitement as you depart from your comfortable home, and will be patiently and faithfully waiting to hear all about it when you get home.

You're so nervous, but know that everything is going to go great! After all, Gary has shown signs of affection… Holding the door open for you, picking up your dropped pencil, and even fixing a bug in your spy phone for _free. _What could possibly go wrong? After all, what's more romantic then two best friends falling in love?

You first walk into the Snow Forts, when you notice that no one's having a snow ball fight! Not even the red team is fired up. You question, "Hey guys, why so bummed?"

What happens next surprises you. The area is full of, "Oh my gosh!"

"The penguin hasn't heard…"

"Maybe they didn't read the newspaper."

"It's always late when something big happens."

Strange. No one answers your question but they don't explain themselves, either. You brush it off and walk cheerfully (not as cheerfully as you were when you left your igloo, but still pretty happy) to the Town, where no one is even _half_ as cheery as you are, in fact they're all worried and running around! "HE'S LOST! HE'S LOST!" they scream. Search parties organize themselves. "Ok, so you three check the Mines. You two, check the outback of the Dojo. You four! Check the Iceberg! He has to be here somewhere!"

You assume the worst. The smile drops from your face faster then anvil. Nothing about you is happy now, but optimism bleeds through your pores and you think to yourself, "No, no, it's not him… Gary isn't missing! Not on the best day of my life!"

Two penguins look relatively calm. Your agent days of overhearing pick up what they're saying:

"Such a shame, Moose."

"I hope we can find him, Polo."

Puffle. The newest Maroon puffle is missing. Heh heh… Nothing is wrong…. Nothing is wrong. Nothing could possibly go wrong on this day…

"Excuse me!" you interrupt, "Why is everyone running around like maniacs? Who is missing?" You try to keep your boiling panic from spilling over into your conversation. However, the next thing that the penguin says nearly makes you faint…

"Oh, haven't you heard? Gary the Gadget Guy is missing."

* * *

The look of a stunned deer crosses over your face. The world's distorted, your peripheral vision completely goes. You can't believe what's happening! No, no Gary's not gone. He can't be! You spin to your left. The town is full of search party groups and more forming. You look behind you. The lighthouse has it's light on, searching in the air. You try and focus. Nothing is working! You focus on one thing, your penguin friend who looks at you in confusion and concern. "Hey… are… you… alright?"

"I'm fine." You manage to say. You can't believe what's going on. You see spots. You force yourself to say awake. The other penguin gives you the newspaper, "Hey, it's OK, people are looking for him. Don't worry. Read this."

You blink, take a breath and a gulp. Polo gives you some water to clear your head. It's tumbling and spinning so fast you don't know to compare to either a washing machine or a hurricane. The heading on the newspaper almost makes you sick.

**GARY KIDNAPPED? **

**Search parties are scouring the island, looking for Gary the Gadget Guy. **

Your spy phone goes off, signaling that you have a message in the Field Op station. You don't want to do anything but clear your head. And convince yourself that Gary is _not _missing. But, duty calls. Even when you're so distressed you could make a blue puffle cry. You thank the penguins, return the paper and teleport to the EPF office, not caring who sees you.

Once you arrive at the office, you see a ton of agents all crowded around the Field Op station, to read what message G has. You fight your way to the front. Even though you don't want to read what's written. You read anyway, you must find out what happened to him…

"YOUR ORDERS: Assigned by: G. Technology Specialist."

He's not gone. You don't want to read further. Something forces you to.

"Attention Agents! I need your help. Someone is inside my lab, and I think that they're- -

*BZZZZZKT* \-connection lost\- "

You just stare blankly at the screen. Oh, your poor Gary! You picture his frightened face as Herbert captures him, knowing that he'll most likely never see a penguin face again! You picture him in a dark cave, with only the rubble as companions. The poor scientist! Cold, hungry and lonely in a cave with just a small trickle of sunlight peering through the cracks! Oh, how you wish you could be there, to stroke his flipper and assure him that everything will be ok! That everyone is looking for him, that he is not alone!

No, you tell yourself, this is a dream. This is all a horrible nightmare. This all in your head… People notice your stunned and hopeless expression and offer some comforting words. None of it helps. Jet Pack Guy pats your shoulder and says, "Its alright, Ace, everyone's looking for him. We're going to find him."

"ok." you peep. You want nothing more then to crawl up in a ball and cry.

You trudge towards the door. You're so dizzy that you can't tell it apart from the Transport Tube.

As you finally regain consciences again, you notice that someone has definitely hacked into here, and it was obviously the psychotic bear. No penguin has that much force to literally _rip through three layers of steel. _No matter. You look around in fear. Careful not to step on any broken shards of glass, you tip-toe your way into the Lab, where most of G's inventions are brutally destroyed. You squeak in horror as you recognize one of them.. Oh G worked so hard on this one! You hide back tears, but they flow from your cheeks anyway. "G-gary?" no answer. "Come on, G, answer! You've got the whole town upset."

There's a security camera looking at you. It looks tired, weak and worn-out. The last survivor of Herbert's attack. An idea hit you. This will prove he's still here… You rip off the camera, take its SD card with the footage and shove it into your phone.

You almost get sick right on the floor in front of you. The look of terror on his face is more then you can handle. You flop your chubby body on the floor, and cry. Your tears stream down your face as the computers spark and the door fades away. You sob and sob until your broken heart can take no more. One last tear runs down your face and drops off your chin-

-and right onto G's spectacles. You gingerly pick them up. Small pieces of glass fall onto the floor below. You take the crushed glasses in your flippers and examine the damage. You get up and examine the damage again. Based on the footage, the damage and the artifact right here, you can only picture what Herbert did…

_G sits at his desk, checking for bugs and working on blueprints. Suddenly, he feels a bump. All alone in his lab, his adrenaline starts to flow throughout his body. As he hears steel being ripped, he quickly types his message, adrenaline pumping through his veins as his flipper scramble to type. "Attention Agents: Someone is in my lab and I think that they're-" _

_The intruder cuts the cord. Gary chokes on his words. He is greeted by a firm blow to the back of his head. His glasses fly off him as he scrambles and flails to get them. His eyes are nothing without them. "My glasses!" he screams as a big furry creature steps in front of him. The stomach-churning crunching noise is more then enough information to conclude what happened. Gary-hyped on adrenaline-leaps up, but is again hit by Herbert into a wall. Excruciating pain runs throughout his body. It feels like someone has dropped a weight on him. Gary falls to the ground. He is too weak and Herbert is too strong. He tries to run away, but his efforts are fruitless. _

_All he feels are bone-crunching arms grasp his neck and stomach, and then blackout. _

You rewind the footage. Gary's hit, his collapse, his capture. His struggle. You can't believe it, so you rewind again. This all some crazy dream.. Gary is safe and sound at home. But it's unenviable. Gary's hit, his collapse, his capture. His struggle. It's hypnotizing. Gary's hit, his collapse, his capture. His struggle.

Gary's hit. Gary's collapsed. Gary's captured.

Gary's gone.

* * *

"Fluffy, why couldn't I have told him yesterday! Why am I such a pathetic glob of sap!"

The igloo ground is cold but you don't care. Your puffle hands you tissue after tissue as you bawl your eyes out. Your love is gone… Gone! Your fragile mind has finally accepted that. The video still haunts your mind, taunting you with the memory of regret and sorrow. Yesterday was the perfect time to tell him… You squeeze your eyes shut, to bring the memory closer. You can almost smell the ink and pencil shavings on his lab coat…

_"Gary?" ooo, this was it! The moment of truth! He wasn't doing any work and he was in a really good mood. That could've just been the extra packet of sugar you put in his coffee this morning… Heh heh heh._

_"Yes Agent?" He looks over at you with those innocent eyes hidden behind his charming spectacles. He smiles at you and it proves too much for your little heart to manage… _

_"I urm I um, completed System Defender today using your advice…"_

_"Oh good Agent! I knew those four cannons in the corners would work! Haha! Whose the genius?" _

_"You are, G." You rolls your eyes playfully and sigh blissfully. Defeated yet again by one of those smiles.. _

If only Herbert had waited on more day! One more day, because you had sworn to not look at his smile and at the pens in his pocket… You could've saved him! You could've asked to be with him more hour to help him with something-anything!- just so you could've been there when Herbert attacked… Stupid stupid stupid!

That stupid Polar Bear kidnapped him and prevented you from telling him…

… Wait a second. You sit up. Your puffle sits up straight too. You tap your flippers together in thought.

"It was Herbert who kidnapped Gary…" Your puffle nods, as that was obvious. You frown. "That no good polar bear outsider kidnapped my love…"

Your eyes squint in a ferocious look as your lip sneers, "That foe of mine stole my love from me."

Your puffle cowards away at your fearful aura. Just as quickly as your optimism warped to sadness, your despair morphs into anger and hatred, but most importantly, determination.

"Nobody is going to stop me." You growl as you teleport back to the EPF office.

"Good night Fluffy. I'll be back in the morning with Gary _by my side_."

* * *

"Director, I am _fully _applied to rescue G. I have been his right-hand-man since this agency _started_." It was thrilling talked to the Director like this. You push that emotion aside and scold yourself. Focus, you've got a mission to clear. The only emotions you should be feeling are hatred, determination, and spite. And love. You wouldn't be doing this right now if it wasn't for love.

"I understand that. But I don't think it's time yet. We need _full proof _that Herbert-"

You reach in your pocket and whip put a tuff of white fur. That animal sheds like a dog.

"Well. I see." The Director leans back in his chair. You start, "I went down an hour ago to find evidence-"

"And I see that you did." He takes a breath, "Agent, I do believe that you're ready such a huge mission. But we wouldn't want to alert the public-"

"_Alert the Public? _Sir! You posted on the _Penguin Times _that _all_ penguins need to _stay watchful_. _Search Parties _are crowding the island, begging for some sleep but can't because _Gary's missing. Everyone _is panicking and fearful, and trying to save him will _ALERT THEM_? Sir. They could be MORE alerted."

The Director nods. "I'm concerned for your safety."

Your heart boils. You miss Gary so much you'd throw yourself off the Lighthouse to see him again. So you fight back, "_Sir. _Agent G is _missing, alone _and possibly _starving. _I don't care if I have to swim to Rockhopper Island and _back _to save him. I have the skills and I have the tools to save him _effortlessly._" Having enough of his excuses, you lean on the table and hiss, "I _will _find Gary _with _or _without _your permission Sir. I will not have him _sit _in the _dark _for one. More. Day."

The Director looks like he's smiling. "I like that attitude, agent. You've passed the test."

You cock your head. "What _test_?"

"I needed to find an agent that had the will to save him even if I didn't approve. Many agents took this test. Only _you _had the guts to defy me for G's sake. And for that, here is the key to the Weaponry Unit." A silver key slides out from the TV set. "I need you to find G, Agent. No matter what the costs. I know you will not let me down."

You salute to him. "G will be found, I promise you." The screen shuts off and with key in hand, you walk to the Weaponry Unit. Nothing can stop you from finding Gary. You're thrilled that you passed this test but you still have in the back of your mind that once you find him, he may not be in best shape. You promise yourself you won't cry or assume the worst when you see him passed out on the floor… Focus agent! That's not important. Gary will not be dead, you'd feel it.

As you load your penguin self with different gadgets you're sure you'll be using, you think about nothing but Gary. You miss him so much, you could break something! This is the first time in 4 months you haven't seen him for more then twenty-four hours! And yet, your so full of spite you could break a log in half with your bare wings. Despite all of this rage, the number one motivation for finding him is so that you can see his smile again…

No matter what happens, you _will _find him.

* * *

**How'd you like it? Different, right? I know this was supposed to be generic and that I'm not supposed to include any details or anything about the penguin, but come on? Who ****_doesn't _****have a puffle named Fluffy? **

**Anyway. If this gets positive feedback, I'll continue it, the next chapter being based on Operation Blackout. If I don't know about you, but based on the Sneak Peaks it looks totally kick-ass. And that's coming from a teenager. Think about that. Seriously, it's kind of scary how excited I am about this. EPF THEME SONG! Nah nah nah nahnahnah nahnah! **

**… I need help. **

**Yeah, I know it came out today but I haven't had time to play because there's this little thing called homework and chorus and tutoring! I'm posting this in my school's computer lab (it's study hall, don't worry I'm not skipping class =]) But once I get home I'll play around and hopefully come up with some ideas. If this gets positive feedback, I'll update, but if it doesn't then… hey ignore this and I hope you enjoyed this one-shot! =) **

**One more thing to add to this ridiculously long Author's Note: For the cover, humanized Gar-bear and "you" or penguin form? Thanks so much!**

**WADDLE (and review!) ON! **


	2. Chapter 2: SAVIOR

**CHAPTER TWO: SAVIOR**

**Awww! You guys were so nice in your reviews ^-^ 1O reviews! Wow that's probably the most I've had for a first chapter =D **

**ok, because scumbag Club Penguin releases stuff day-by-day, I can't have Blackout in one big chapter without a very very late update -_-**

**So sorry for the late update. This came out, like, a week and a half ago and I'm just getting this to you now. But you know. School. Plus I got grounded .. Heh heh… **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter! It has a big back-story, plus operation 1, 2, and a bit of 3. **

**ENJOY!**

* * *

You open your eyes. You're at the computer mainframe. That was a lovely nap but now it's time to work again. Yesterday was spent gathering as much information as possible to rescue Gary. Your heart is still on fire with love and from missing Gary so much. Fire strong enough to burn anything that gets in your way.

"Hey, boss? We have the information you needed."

"Good, thank you agents. Report back to Sensei."

They nod and flip away. In two seconds, they were gone. "Ninja-Agents." You mumble yourself as you take out the file in the orange envelope, "Best thing that happened to this agency since the Elite puffles."

You stick the CD carefully in your computer. An Intern gives you coffee. It was nice to be in charge, you conclude.

You look at the calendar on the wall. Nobody's changed it since November 15th. Which is understandable. That was the day all _hell _broke loose.

Ever since the Director OK'd your mission to save Gary, he put you in charge of the whole operation. With operation information and guides from him for you to use, you'd save Gary with other agents at your command. You loaded your penguin self with different gadgets from the EPF office (convinced you didn't need _anyone's _help), and teleported outside. The EPF was no secret now. Agents could walk around freely now thanks to the Newspaper. However… Something was off as soon as you walked outside. You wrapped your jacket around you tighter. What you saw when you got there almost made you cry. Again.

The whole entire island was dark outside, even though it was three in the afternoon. You look up and swing your flipper to your mouth.

There was a bright orange laser gun shooting at the sky. Dark purple and black clouds the color of bruises covered the sky. You look around you. A helicopter flies from the sea. You use your spy glasses to zoom in on the container it had under it. It read, "WARNING: EXPLOSIVES."

It takes you less then seconds the conclude what that psychopath is going to do. You scream into your phone, "ALL AGENTS EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! _REPEAT THIS IS NOT A DRILL! __**PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE HAS EXPLOSIVES!**__" _

Agents pour out of the building like a bucket full of water turned upside down. Agents plus some kind volunteers made sure everyone was out of the vicinity of the building. Herbert's helicopter flew further and further in…

The bombs dropped. The building caught fire.

The building exploded.

* * *

You finish your disturbing flashback. Puffle and Penguin Rescue Squads set up at the Lighthouse and Dock. You helped out where possible. You brought Fluffy to the docks to help out, too. Your little helper rounded up puffles that were hurt or hungry and brought them to the docks, it also helped by donating its red ball and super bouncy ball for playtime. PH said that your puffle was the best thing that's happened all day. You agreed.

In that amount of time, Herbert took advantage of the disaster and completely and utterly took over the island. He printed his own newspaper, set up a base and even put his head on the Gift Shop magazines. As funny and disturbing to see Herbert with a perm, you had to stop him no matter what costs.

Dot informed you that there was an underground base, in case of emergencies like this one. You gathered up the agents an headed downstairs. The N.E.A.T. (Ninja Elite Agent Team) already had Herbert's fort's map and scaled, and also dug out a tunnel that leads right to the hide out's boiler room. You congratulated them, and told them they were relieved of duty for the time being. The next day, you told them they needed to find out where Herbert is keeping Gary and how we can get in there. The information is in your hands, now. Chills cold as the ice outside run up and down your spine as your computer boots up the disk-

"Hey boss? If the Ninjas can find out so much about the fort, then why can't they just save Gary?" Rookie says. You smile at the agent, although not young anymore, the silly green penguin is too naïve for his own good. You reply, "Yes, they can reach into the building and find out information, but the ninja's main idea is not to be seen. They can't actually go out into the field for reasons I'm not sure about. Sensei said it was all about Moksha or Nirvana or some union with the universe."

"Oh!" Rookie said, "That makes sense." You nod and start to boot up the CD, when Rookie starts again, "Hey, urm, Boss? Will, I, I mean, if you don't want me to, urm, possibly, I know given my track record I understand if you say no-"

You sigh and interrupt, "Sorry Rookie, I know but it took _fifty-six _tries to get into the EPF. I feel that in a situation in which you could get hurt… You _would._ I'm sorry, Rook, but I just can't take that chance."

"It's ok." He says, "But, Boss? Can you promise me something?"

"Anything, Rookie." You look at the seconds wasted in the conversation. Vital evidence is in your hands! A plan could've been set already-

"Find him, boss, find Gary." He taps his flippers together in nervousness, "Gary has always been like a dad to me, and well, I can't stand having him gone as much as you do."

Wait a second…

Rookies whispers, "I know that you like him, Boss. I may be naïve when it comes to missions, but I see that fire in your eyes when someone finds evidence of him. I also see that pain whenever you see that missing board over there."

He nods his head over to the heart-breaking board that shows off it's huge MISSING right above your beloved's head. You want to rip the picture of him and burn the board. Everyone already knows he's missing, why should the board mock your sorrow even more!?

Rookie must of sensed your displeasure and spite towards it, for he laughs and says, "See? But it's ok, boss, I won't tell anyone! Promise!"

You half smile. Great. Rookie knew your little secret. As much as you want to brainwash the little guy, you've got a file to check out! You boot up the disk and click on the images. Rookie breaths over your shoulder. You shoot him a look. "Sorry!" He squeaks and backs away to throw snowballs at Herbert. You hear the snowball hit the dummy with such force you wince. Huh.

Alright, now was the moment of truth. Now you can finally see what Herbert is planning, what he's done with Gary, and what he plans to do with the rest of us. With shaky flippers, you open the file with the pictures.

The first picture is disheartening and disturbing. It shows the laser gun pointing upwards at the sky, absorbing the heat and sunlight and leaving the rest of Club Penguin in the cold. Literally, without the sunlight the island will freeze to death. And it seems as if Herbert doesn't care if you live or die…

The second picture was less disturbing, but still upsetting. It had Herbert's fortress, and it seems as if Herbert is stealing the sunlight to create a Hawaiian style living room. It was complete with a pool, tanning bed and tiki masks everywhere. It seems the bear was big on dedication. You roll your eyes. The island was getting colder and colder by the minute. Concern boiling in your stomach like a volcano, you click the next key the see the next picture.

You immediately throw your flipper up to your mouth to prevent yourself from crying out in horror. There he was, Gary, trapped inside a tube on the top of Herbert's lair. Surround by five other tubes, Gary was held in what seemed to be an indestructible tube. You try see if the picture was taken when Gary was moving but no… Gary was frozen solid in his containment unit. Icicles drooped off of his beak, arms and feet. He looked so full of panic and distress that you wanted to save him right now! You want him to know that everything is being done to rescue him! You lean your head on your flippers and sigh sadly. "We will find you, Gary, I swear it."

But there was a small pang of doubt in your voice. Hope was all you could hold onto. The island was getting colder and colder without sunlight. After all, Gary had said that a penguin could only live a certain amount of time frozen… And already five days have passed for Gary. Who knows for the rest of the island?

* * *

"Alright maggots! It's been _six freakin' _days already and we haven't done anything about saving Gary!"

"Um, boss? We have the whole building scaled and mapped out. We have direct evidence where Gary is at."

"….Quiet Agent Gunner." You blush embarrassed that you didn't think before you spoke. These three Agents in front of you were the top of the class E.P.F. in each of their departments; Agent Gunner (trained under JPG) was top of his class in the Athletics department. Next was Agent Jay of the Technology department (studied under G for a month then taught himself) and finally Agent Valerie of the Stealth department (Trained under Dot). You looked at your crew with pleasure. Yes, this would be perfect. A little bit of every department plus leadership from you. Well, that wasn't a field but the Director said you had plenty of it. The mission was going to go perfectly! Giddiness spread inside you like a virus as you start to speak to your crew.

"Alright, first plan of business is to hack into Herbert's security breech and shut the whole thing down as we go. Once we reach the Main Office-where G is-we'll set off the Self Destruct button. It takes approximately five to ten minutes to explode. N.E.A.T. has already surrounded the area with a ninja force field of some sort so the explosive won't harm anyone. Once that is done, we'll repair the island. Any questions?"

Jay raises his hand, "Why were _we _chosen? Why couldn't Dot or JPG or The Director gone? They all seem much more capable of this then we are." the insecure agent taps his brown flippers together. You answer him carefully as not to alarm any of them, "We reasons to believe that Herbert will try and capture the other big agents names, such as your beloved mentors. There are five other tubes, for Dot, JPG, and the Director, It is unknown who the last two tubes are going to hold. Without them…The agency would fall apart-"

"Well, and we're just chopped liver?" Gunner exclaims. Valerie calls out too, "Yeah! We're top of the class too! Does anyone care if we live or die?"

"Listen guys," You say softly to calm your team down, "The thing is, _we _care about you, but _Herbert _doesn't. It's less of chance that you will get hurt." Unconvinced, they still frown at you. You sigh and choose your words carefully, "They have only been trained in their field. Gary knows nothing about athletics and Dot can't tell a USB cable from a computer charger. It's all about balance, agents, and because you have experience in all three fields we have a stable group. If we only had JPG, Dot and Rookie we couldn't do it without the technology from G. It's not that we don't care. It's because we need G to resume balance in this agency. And with all of your amazing skills, we can."

The look of pride and appreciation on their faces is more then enough to show that they understand. Val speaks, "There should be a leadership field. You would defiantly be the mentor for that."

"Thanks, Val." You say sweetly. The sweetheart beams and says, "Alright! When are we going to start this mission!?"

"RIGHT NOW!" You all scream in enthusiasm. It looks like your pep talk really got your team pumped. You're sure off where ever he dwells, the Director is nodding in approval. You're certain that if he could, Gary would be too.

You wave your flipper in a desperate attempt to get the rest of your team over to where you are. Gary is now going to finally be rescued! The idea almost makes you giggle with excitement. You tell Val to try and figure out a way into the first security breech. She nods vigorously and disappears into the shadows. Gunner looks antsy to do some damage. Jay is studying the map. Things are dead quiet aside from the crabs clicking. With each click, Gunner looks like he'll rip their claws off. He mouths ever so slightly, "Come on, Val…" You smile and whisper, "It's OK Gunner. Take a deep breath. She'll come back soon."

"Oh um I uh…" He stumbles on his words with embarrassment. You smile, understanding his pain of possibly loosing a loved one.

You shake your head, no! Gary is not lost. To distract yourself, you observe the brown penguin to your left. Jay is too absorbed in his phone and gadgets to notice. Val returns (with a relieved sigh from Gunner) and reports, "I'm sorry Boss, but the only to get in is past the door. And it's guarded by intense security cameras. And it looks like only Klutzy and Herbert can get in."

You grunt in frustration. You close your eyes and count to ten while trying to think of a plan. You feel three sets of agent eyes staring at you waiting for orders. You're spy phone goes off. Startled, you pick it up. The Director's image appears in the screen, hidden behind darkness. With his voice distorted by computer editing, you hear quietly, "Stumped agent? Worry not, as I will be here to guide you. It's alright. You're doing fine."

"Thank you, Director. All of us are doing a great job. What is your advice?"

"I am sending a virus to Jay's phone. He'll know what to do." and he logs off.

"Well _that _was helpful." Gunner rolls his eyes. Jay smiles and says, "Alright team. Director sent me Code: 876 with cords double 56."

"And _that is…_" Gunner folds his flippers. Jay shrinks, "It means that I can disguise everyone if I hack into the cameras." You nod in approval. This team was off to a good start… Minus Gunner's snarky comments, that is.

"Oo oo!" Val squeals, "I can put the virus in the cameras!" She steals Jay's phone and with flip, bounce and suction cups, she plants Jay's phone in the security cameras. Jay nods and explains, "Now whenever the camera sees a person, it automatically thinks it's Klutzy or Herbert. Clevah?"

"Yes, Jay. Bonus points for you." You wink, while Gunner rolls his eyes. "Alright… Let's keep moving." He says. You nod at the team, and carefully you walk into the room. The cameras let you through. Jay beams.

Once in, you see a security desk. To hack into the system, you have solve a simple puzzle. You scoff, "Too easy." And with a couple swift swipes, the cameras for Unit 1 are shut down. Jay whispers, "Yes! One step closer to saving the island."

Gunner and Val high-five as the Director calls you. "Hello?"

"Good work Agents. But this is only the first step. There are five more to shut down. Temperatures are going down fast. Don't let me down."

"Of course, Director. Stay warm."

* * *

The second security breach was behind a door that seemed to be made of pure steel. You look up, and it seems like the only way in is by a switch in the wall, way out of reach and seems like only a Polar Bear could reach it. You silently say a prayer for Gary, _Dear Gary. We're coming for you. Even though my team has flaws, we all have one goal. To save you. I promise we'll be there soon. Love, Ace. _

"Well, if we all stood on each other's shoulders, the height would be equivalent to that of a the bear, but our balance would have to equal exactly-"

"Forget that!" Gunner exclaims, pushing Jay aside and aims his grappling hook at the switch. He fires and the door opens. You say to the disappointed Jay, "Hey look, it's fine. Gunner's just stressed. Don't worry about it. Just remember that we need to act quickly."

"Right, boss." Jay says.

Your spy phone rings again. Wanting to keep moving, you really wish you could ignore this call. You pick it up, "Hello Director?"

"Hello team. Temperatures are plummeting. More and more penguins are at the Lighthouse for medical attention. We're doing everything to keep them warm."

"Start fires! Knit blankets!" Valerie exclaims, "There are a lot of things to keep them warm! Dot can knit a ton of blankets for you! She's so good at it! And, and she can donate her clothes!" Valerie screams out in desperation. Pieces start to come together in your mind. Not her…

"Which is why I called you." He takes a breath, "Agents, I know you can do anything. Now more then ever do we need you-"

"Enough with the inspirational Disney crap! What's going on!?" Val takes your phone, "Where. Is. Dot?"

"I'm sorry Agent Valerie. Your mentor Dot has been captured and frozen."


	3. Chapter 3: BELOVED

**CHAPTER THREE: BELOVED **

**Wow you guys! 2O FRICKEN' REVIEWS! I really didn't expect this story to have so many! **

**Anyway, please enjoy this chapter! I know Operation: Blackout ended but I'm still going to update. I hope you had a fun time and this was DEFINATLY the coolest party ever! **

**Sorry again for the late update. *nervous look as people throw food* **

**WADDLE (and read!) ON!**

* * *

*All degrees are in Fahrenheit, for America's convenience =) you're welcome.

"No… No please Director tell me it isn't true! Tell me it isn't true!" Valerie whimpers into the phone. The Director's silence is all she needs to know. She pulls herself together. Valerie takes a soothing silent breath and says, "Director. I will save her. I will not let you down."

"Agent Valerie…"

"I'm fine Director!" Valerie snaps. Such a brave girl… You kick yourself on the inside for your mental breakdown compared to Valerie's strong composure. The Director hangs up. Jay and Gunner both look at Valerie. She looks around. You start, "Well, let's keep moving-"

All of a sudden. Valerie starts bawling. "Whu-Why couldn't the EPF taken better care of her! Dot is such a clutz!" she makes some cry gasp, "I-I, go on without me! I'll just slow everyone down. I'm so weak…" She whips her eyes on the back of her sleeve, trying very hard not to have a breakdown.

"Val.. Val it's ok." You say reassuringly. Gunner shoves you aside and takes Val's face in his flippers, "LISTEN Val! This is exactly what Herbert wants! He wants us to cry and he wants us to a have mental breakdown and he wants us to give up! You can't give up! Are you going to give up just because a stupid Polar Bear wants you too?"

She sniffs, "N-no."

"Exactly Val! So don't give up. JPG always said that if you give up, you're only missing out on a great adventure. Do you want to miss out on kicking Herbert's but back to the North Pole where that sucker belongs?"

Val laughs, "Heh heh, no." She stands up, "ok, ok I think I'm ok. Now I just really want to save everyone's beloved. Let's get going."

"Wait wait wait." Gunner says waving his flippers in an X formation. "Beloved? I am not calling JPG my 'beloved', do ya think I'm a rainbow boy, hon?" Jay nods in agreement.

"You can call JPG whatever you want to call him. I'm calling them our 'beloveds' because when you love someone and will go to great measures for them, well I think that the meaning of a beloved person. You don't have to call 'em that, but I'm calling them that. I think it fits the situation." She whispers calmly. You smile a warm smile at the agents compassion.

"That's sweet Val." You say. She nods at you, "it's what I believe." Gunner rolls his eyes, "I'm still calling them the captured."

"I understand. But I'm still calling Dot my beloved. Jay's beloved is Rookie, I guess, and Gunner's beloved is Jet. And Ace's beloved is Gary."

You blush when Val refers to Gary as your 'beloved.' Little does she know how true that is! Gunner and Jay seems to be rosy, so nothing is suspicious. You hope. Gunner holds his flipper up to his head, "Now I'm definitely going to be called a 'rainbow boy.'"

"Y-yeah. Valerie!" Jay says, darting his eyes around paranoid as if a secret has been revealed.

You turn around and start walking to the third security breech. "I got this." Jay says and uses his laser gun to cut through the door. He starts off going slow to neatly cut, but with annoyed glances from you, Gunner and Val, he quickly swipes his laser around the door frame. The door (Or what's left of it) falls, and with a dramatic leap you enter the breech. Posing in self-defense poses, you see that this breech is empty.

"Too easy." Jay says and briefly switches the blocks around. "Does Herbert think we're morons?" Gunner says. With a flick of his flipper, the key enters the slot and security breech 3 in shut down. "Only three more to go!" You say. Your team is pumped. Excited and anxious, you move on.

One call from the Director changes that. You answer, "Director we have everything-"

"Temperatures are plummeting faster then we can handle. Snow is forming everywhere. The island is getting darker and darker."

"Who's kidnapped this time?" Jay says with fear. The Director sighs. "Jay, keep calm. Remember your mission."

"I will, Director." Jay gulps. "I know… Is it-"

"Yes Agent Jay. Agent Rookie is kidnapped and frozen."

* * *

The news hits Jay like a sack of coffee beans. He doesn't cry, he doesn't stop. He closes his eyes and breaths. "Look, Jay, you don't have to go all Sensei on us-"

"Herbert is a dead bear."

"Wha-" You say. All this time, Jay has been so cool, calm and collected, but now he seems so-

"Dude!" Gunner says, "what's with the whole vicious thing?"

Jay sighs, "I'm angry, bub." Jay eyes Gunner as the latter takes a step back. You frown, "Agent Jay, what the frick is wrong with you?"

He takes a breath. "Alright guys. You know how you're mentors are your life, right? I know I studied under G for a month, but that's not enough to get really close. Val, I know you studied with Dot for five years. Gunner, four years. And Ace, well, you've studied with G since the PSA started." You all nod, and let Jay finish, "Rookie wouldn't be here if I didn't push him to be an agent."

"Jay are you saying-"

"Yeah, Val, Rookie is my little brother."

Silence. Jay seems embarrassed, "I know, I know. He's a big dofus, and gosh! I'm his big brother! I'm supposed to protect him!"

"Aw, com'on Jay, don't beat yourself up. There was nothing you could do."

"Gunner, what if you're little brother was kidnapped and you could've done everything to protect him! I'm a failure at a brother! He doesn't deserve me!" Jay stoops down and holds his face in his flippers. Gunner rolls his eyes, takes his jacket, and slaps Jay across the face. "Gunner!" You shout, "What's the matter with you!?"

"Feel better Jay?" Jay nods, rubbing the red mark on his cheek. "Sometimes," Gunner starts, "The best thing to do when someone has a breakdown is to slap 'em. Gets their nerves working again. Best lesson JPG taught me. Still feel the sting whenever I wanna give up."

Concerned, you say to the team, "Well, Gary, Dot and Rookie are captured. This is huge. This just proves that Herbert wants us to cry. We shall defy the 'mighty Herbert' and keep doing what we're doing!"

"Right." They say lamely. You conclude it's enough pep talks. "Are we just going to sit around here like drunk dogs or are we going to start this mission back up!" You load your grabbling hook gun, "NO MORE STOPS."

The team nods. Valerie whispers, "You could get banned for saying 'drunk'."

"Come at me, Polo." You whisper. "Alright team! We're going to keep moving. Next is to shut down security terminal four. Come on guys, we're almost done here. The island will be saved in no time!"

* * *

Crossing the bridge was easy (keeping your footsteps quiet, however, was only simple to Valerie). You crawl through the vents and once outside, you feel the effects of no sunlight for three days. "Gosh it's chilly out!" You say, being the first one outside. "No duh, we're in the South Pole- OH LORD!" Gunner says. "It's gotta be like, ten degrees out!"

"Eleven point one-seven-three, to be exact." Jay says, checking his watch and sighing. Noticing your surroundings, you gasp. You're in Herbert's Main Office, where the tubes containing your beloveds are. You're stuck on Gary's tube. Throughout this whole adventure you've forgotten that this whole thing started just so you could see his smile again! Oh, but the will to save Gary has morphed into so much more then just to see that beautiful smile again. It's turned into saving the island. To save it from freezing, save it from devastation, but most importantly, save it from hopelessness.

You look at him. Gary seems to be so cold, yet he feels nothing. You just hope he doesn't have consciousness so he's not claustrophobic… You shutter as you remember Gary's look of pure fright when penguins started crowding him at the Halloween party! You close your eyes as you shiver from the cold. You picture Gary with warm coco and heated quilt next to you. Oh, the harsh winter months were so much better with a loved one… The quilt sucked in the warmth of both the penguins and their beating hearts did the rest. It was perfect, you concluded, to love someone that loved you back with all their heart.

You awake from your daydream. The little imaginary scene warmed your heart and the weather seemed much less colder. You want to keep moving, but it seems like your team is trance.

"Dot." Valerie mouths ever so slightly. You look at the stealth agent's mentor. The mentor looks like she's crying in pain. Her eyes are closed shut, and her beak looks like it's forming an "e" sound. You close your own eyes. "VALERIE!" Rings through your ears like a ghost's whisper as you imagine Dot being frozen. The scream of Dot seems to have hit your fellow agent, for she looks at Dot in a determined way. Her expression seems to say Dot, _I swear I'm going to help you. You'll forget how cold you are. I promise I'll save you, no matter what. _

You look over at Jay. He's half smiling at his little brother's tube. You start to walk over to him, "Hey, agent."

"Oh, hey boss." He sighs, "He seems so, happy, I just hope his optimism and naïve nature saved him from fear." You look at Rookie, upside down in his tube. "Hopefully he thought it was a game or something." He looks down at his flipper and plays with a small bracelet. "Rookie made this for me. I know, the threads are stupid colors and it's cheap but… It reminds me of him and hey, it's kind of lucky."

Suddenly, you have a flashback to when Rookie asked to be part of your rescue squad.

_You sigh and interrupt, "Sorry Rookie, I know but it took fifty-six tries to get into the EPF. I feel that in a situation in which you could get hurt… You would. I'm sorry, Rook, but I just can't take that chance."_

Frowning, you remember you only wanted to protect him, and now he's frozen. What would've happened if you took Rookie along? Would he be frozen right now?

You finish your conversation with Jay and look at Gunner. "They're after Jet, I can feel it. I just hope he can get awa-"

You hear footsteps across the way. "GET DOWN!" You hiss as your team hits the floor;. Val seems to disappear completely in the shadows, and everyone tries to mimic her. "HA! Klutzy! That stupid Jetpack couldn't save him THAT time! Now, stop squirming and get in the tube!"

"…. Mmmmm? Mm! Mmm! NNNNNNNNNNN!" You look up and see Jetpack Guy seeming to be waking up. He panics and struggles as he is thrown into the tube. Hatred boils in Gunner as redness slowly starts to fill his cheeks. "Gunner…" Valerie says as she pulls him down. "This is not our fight yet. Our fight is to shut down the security breeches. THEN we can kick their butts. I promise. The moment you jump up there we will die. You'll put this whole mission in jeopardy. Gunner just stay calm." The words do little to sooth the fighter, but he stays down and hidden. Valerie exhales silently.

Once inside the tube, Jetpack Guy sees you. Panic starts to form in your stomach, fearful of being caught. However, Jet does nothing. Herbert walks over to his controls. Jet can't help himself as he screams out, "GUNNER!" as the mist surrounds him. Within two seconds, Jetpack Guy is frozen. You look to see if Gunner's going to explode, but Valerie has already taken him to security breech five.

* * *

"Alright team. The last security breech is only two minutes away! We're two minutes from saving the island!" You say. Gunner looks like he's going to kill someone. You back up.

Suddenly, a sharp pain in your lower back makes you cringe and cry out in pain. A feeling of dread follows and hits you like a pound of bricks. It was sudden, and made you stumble. "Oh God.." Gunner says, "You tripping?"

"I'm fine." You manage to say. The world goes fuzzy. "What's happening!?" Valerie says and catches you. "Hey BUDDY!" Gunner snarls. You turn your head (Which required a lot of energy) and you see that Gunner and Jay were chasing a crab. Forcing yourself to stay awake, you see that Gunner picked up the crab by its claws, and is questioning it. The crab seems to admit to everything, and points to your back. Valerie takes her flipper and yanks hard. You whimper, but relief hits you as the world stands still again. There was a dart in her flipper, the size of a sardine. A strange liquid drips from it. Valerie looks like she's going to be sick. She covers her beak with her flipper and gives the dart to Jay.

With the dart and liquid out of your system, you start to regain your mental status. You stand up right, shake your head and say slowly, "So, Jay give me a full on analyses of what the heck that is and what it does."

"Well, chief," He starts, "It looks like a dart that contains a liquid…"

"No, really?" Gunner rolls his eyes. Jay shoots him a look and keeps going, "The liquid contains a knock-out chemical, and also- Oh my gosh!"

"What! What!" You all say, anxious to hear what the mysterious chemical is. Jay shakes his head in disbelief, "It-it's a chemical that can keep the body warm and stabilized when frozen. I mean, it helps the lungs convert air into oxygen that is 20% more efficient! It takes the food in the stomach and digests 50% slower so the penguin (if on a full stomach) can go years without eating! It looks like it can keep the body functions working for over ten years!"

You all stop. Gunner lets the crab go ("DON'T let me see your pathetic claws AGAIN.") and Valerie says, "So Herbert really doesn't want to kill them. He wants them safe."

"Some animals just want to watch the world burn, I guess." Jay says. "He just wants to make a statement."

"Well now we know who the last tube was for." you sigh, "Me."

"Well," Jay starts, "Now we know how Herbert gets his prey. He knocks 'em out, the crabs take him, and when they wake up they're trapped in a tube about to be frozen. What a sick-o."

"Why did Herbert personally kidnap Gary? This makes no sense…" Valerie says in annoyance. You shrug, "Gary sure has done a lot to make Herbert miserable. Foiling his plans, locking him up, and such. I guess Herbert wanted to take of him personally." You say sadly. Valerie nods solemnly, "I get it."

"Alright," Jay says flipping his hair back and adjusting his glasses, "I just alerted the Director how Herbert acquires his victims. He or she should be safe at least for a little while. Let's go."

"UGH!" Gunner exclaims as an open window gives new meaning to 'freezing cold', "The island is freezing cold! Jay, temperature."

"Negative five degrees." he says sticking his phone out the window, his brown flipper turning blue, "Only, t-minus ten minutes until the island freezes over!"

"Alright team." You say, "Let's shut down this hell-hole."

* * *

**Don't forget to review =)  
**


	4. Chapter 4: HOPE

**CHAPTER FOUR: HOPE **

**Tsk Tsk Tsk, you reviewers are slacking a little! **

**I'm just teasing, last chapter was just a fill in =) **

**Welcome to the second-to-last chapter of You Will Find Him! It's been a blast writing this. This INCREDIBLY long chapter will be full of adventure, excitement, action, and of course romance! ON WITH THE STORY!**

***All degrees are in Fahrenheit, for America's convenience =) **

* * *

Your team jumps onto the platform. With a couple flicks of the wrists from Jay, Security Terminal five was shut down.

"One more to go! And this time, it's a boss fight. That's right. We're going up against the big man, Herbert himself."

"Will it involve fighting? Seriously. I haven't punched one thing this ENTIRE MISSION!" Gunner growls and punches the wall, leaving a deep dent.

"Trust me, Gunner, there will be hell to pay." The anger rises up in your body as you run towards Herbert's Main Office. Aha! This was it! Your team catches up with you. Excitement and energy flow through you.

Gary will be saved in less then ten minutes.

Your positive energy is felt by everyone else. Jay says, "Wow! We're going to be heroes!"

"Don't forget," You warn, "It's not without some pain and bloodshed." Jay and Val make gag faces while Gunner tries not to look excited. You laugh, "I'm just kidding! There won't be any bloodshed." You turn around as Val and Jay stifle a giggle.

"At least," You whisper to yourself as you sneak past a doorway, "I hope not."

One quick phone message from the Director stops you. You read aloud, "Listen closely, team. Use your Anti-Lava boots to sneak into Herbert's Central Command room, or 'Main Office' as Ace likes to call it." You pause, adrenaline pumping through your system as you read the next line, "This is my final message. Herbert has found me. He is coming. The fate of the island rests on you- - -"

"AW YEAH!" Gunner shouts, "NOW'S WHEN THE ACTION STARTS!" He jumps up and high-fives Valerie. You grin maliciously, "Let's go, team."

A crab looks at you in shock. It clicks frantically, and then pulls out a dart. The same type that has been capturing all the lead agents, including you. Val sneaks up behind it and takes the dart and holds it high above it's head. She dangles it just out of reach. She laughs when it jumps and pulls it up higher.

"Alright." You say, "That's enough taunting the poor thing." You look as Gunner kicks it over to the edge. It doesn't hit the lava, and it lands on the floor below. "Sweet!" Jay says, "That crab will report to Herbert! He will be ready for us!"

Jay's words encourage and frighten your team. Strange, two very different emotions from the same words.

You look outside into the void of CP. White untarnished snow covered what seemed to be every inch of the island. The island was close to freezing over. Only a few bare spots remained, but those were getting smaller and smaller, fewer and fewer… You look down to see a few freezing penguins cuddling stray Puffles. They throw snow balls weakly into the fire hydrant to try and put out the constant flames of your building. Some use the flames to try and keep warm. A fire starts within you, bigger and stronger then the flames of the building. You will save these penguins. No matter the costs.

"We're here." Valerie says timidly. You almost scream. Outside the door, just steps away is Public Enemy #1. Herbert P Bear, Esquire.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE FOOLS ARE NOT CAPTURED?" Herbert roars. Gunner look antsy to punch the bear. Valerie cowards in the darkness, her shyness not allowing her to be seen. Jay struggles to not flinch, but contracts his body into the dark as well.

"Listen, you useless creature, I want those God forsaken AGENTS FROZEN! I DON'T CARE IF THEY'RE DEAD OR ALIVE. JUST GET THEM OUT OF THE EQUATION. Ka-peesh?" Nervous clicking responds. You shake your head.

"He's even scarier in real life…" Valerie mouths. You shake your head calmly and whisper, "Nah, he's all bark and no bite."

"Really?" Jay mouths. "Yeah." you nod again. Although Herbert does look intimidating by his rage, it's no use to be afraid. You're the leader. They look up to you.

Gunner waves his flipper. "He's just a big bully with no strength. Look at those floppy arms! He couldn't hurt a fluffy-fish."

The Stealth agent nods. She reaches in her belt and pulls out a ribbon. It was velvet and red, she ties it around your wrist. "Dot gave it to me. She says it's for good luck." She looks you in the eyes, "I want you to have it. You're the leader. You need to save your beloved the most."

"Tha-thanks, Valerie." You stare the red ribbon. She backs up until the only thing you can see of her is her outline and the light gleaming off her dark glasses. You pull your sleeve down to cover the gift. You still feel the ribbon, even though you can't see it.

She inches closer to the door and puts her hood up. Now, the agent is invisible. Hidden by darkness, she spies on the Illustrious Leader Supreme. Through your night vision glasses, you see that Valerie nods at Gunner. Herbert has his back turned. "GO GO GO!" Gunner mouths.

Instinctively, you jump into the scene. Jay bends over in a menacing hunch. Gunner aims his flippers in an attack position. Valerie lands crouched on one knee. You stand in the back with your arms folded.

"Give up Herbert!" You say while pointing, "We will stop you!"

"Huh?" He says while turning, "Oh, the Waddle Squad. How adorable."

"Adorable?" Gunner steams. Herbert laughs, "Oh you foolish penguins. In less then five minutes the island will freeze over! YOU PENGUINS ARE NO MORE! MWAHAHAHAHA!"

"Oh yeah? Try and defeat us." Valerie says strongly, despite the fear behind her glasses. You feel for her. Valerie wasn't a fighter. "Alright, my pretty. It's your funeral." Herbert sneers. Valerie's eyes dilate. "KLUTZY! ATTACK!"

A swarm of crabs come at your team like a tsunami. Panic resides in your mind for a millisecond and then is replaced by leader instinct. You throw out directions like a drill sergeant. Since Valerie wasn't very strong in fighting, you order her to disappear and fire from her hiding place. You shout at Jay to use defensive attack. You tell Gunner to use hand-to-hand (flipper-to-claw?) combat since he's the toughest.

Your team does well. Your flippers fly in a flurry of attacks to defend yourself from the ambush. You notice out the corner of your eye that Herbert is messing with different controls. Stop him! You order yourself. You leap over crabs and punch some out of your way to get to him. "Haha!" The polar bear starts, "Why wait five minutes? I'll just turn this piece of junk up to high so I can finally get rid of these pesky penguins!" You run as fast as your flat feet can carry you (the end result was something close to a gallop) and swat Herbert's hand away from the dial with all your might. Shocked, he draws back his paw and looks at you.

"Aha! Ace… You pesky penguin are no match for my incredible strength! Give up now! You have no chance."

"Oh yea?" You snarl and squint your eyes, "Bite me."

At this flippant comment, Herbert comes at you with full strength. Dodge. Punch. Duck. Jump. Aim. Attack. Kick. Duck. The fighting was all routine to you by now. You zone out and try to form a plan. In the back of your mind, a memory of what Gary taught you one day about fighting forms and you try to remember everything. _Defense. Always defense first. This will weaken your opponent some._

He pulls back his monstrous fist. You run to the door. You turn around so your back is pressed against the door. You make a teasing face. Herbert swings at you with all his might. You wait. The seconds were slow, yet coming fast. Feeling Herbert's fur beginning to graze your face, you lean back, moving away at the very last second.

Herbert's fist slammed into his precious fort's wall at full strength. With a stomach churning crunching noise, sparks flew from the wall and a growl rumbles in your foe's stomach, slowly rising to his mouth. _It's been used many times, but that is a great attack._Gary's voice rings through your mind. Bringing the memory closer, you remember some other tips Gary gave you.

_Alright, agent, you know I'm no good with combat. But I did pick up some other tips at that clinic._

You jump up as Herbert tries to swing kick you. With a quick shot, your flipper makes contact with his forehead. Basic fighting techniques every agent should know. Again, your mind goes into routine: Dodge, hit, duck, hit, dodge…

_First, the nose, knees, chest, and stomach are always good targets._

You jump up and smack his nose as hard as you can. Stunned, he pulls back, only to come charging again. You drop to the floor. You lean on your side with your flippers holding you up and dart your feet towards his knees. The polar bear comes crashing down. You figure out a plan as your quick breathes fog in the freezing night air. You hold your flippers in fists as you bob up and down, keeping yourself energized. Herbert picks himself up. You run towards the wall as he chases you. Jumping off it in a flip motion, you extend your foot at his chest.

_Now, don't get too comfortable. Your opponent is smarter then they may look. Don't use the same technique over and over again._

The last thing, his stomach. Since you used your foot the last two times, you decide to use that against him. You jump up aiming your foot at him. Being smarter then the average bear, Herbert grabs your orange feet. Aha, but being two steps ahead you predict this and swing your body around to pop him right in his huge belly.

_Use the cold to your advantage. The cold keeps you moving, energized, and less sweaty._

You inhale the cold air as the coolness flows throughout your body. The EPF jacket was keeping your torso warm, but cold, clammy sweat was gathering quickly. Now, with your deep inhale, inside of you was cool, too. With the cold chilling your muscles, you high-speed attack him. Over and over again you punch his chest, knocking the wind out of him and no doubt leaving some bruises.

_By this time your opponent should be weak. However, assume they still have all the strength left in the world. NEVER underestimate them, agent. It is a huge and sometimes deadly mistake._

Of course any ordinary penguin (who hasn't been training, building up muscle and endurance) would be exhausted by this point. But Herbert's not a penguin. He can take a beating. And, you're no ordinary penguin. By the look in his eyes, you know Herbert thinks you're getting tired. You humor him, ignoring your pride. You take deeper breaths and weaken your stature. Herbert grins, "Tired, Agent? You pathetic piece of penguin-"

"TAKE THIS YOU PHYCOTIC FREAK!" You shout and lunch your whole penguin body at him. Herbert's wind gets knocked out of him. This was a risky attack, as so much could go wrong-

_CAREFUL AGENT!_

Gary's concerned voice rings through your ears. That voice seemed so much more then a memory! "Gary?" You say and spin around to his tube. Nope, he was still frozen.

Biggest mistake of the whole mission.

That voice was just a memory! G yelled that at you when you twisted your foot in such a way that you got a severe cramp (Charlie Horse, to be exact.). Now you remember! It's too late now, for Herbert launched his whole body at yours. The impact was insanely painful. Your neck snapped backward as you drag across the floor with Herbert's fist lodged in your gut. Your head starts pounding to your quick heartbeat as the world becomes one big furry mess.

Before you know what's happening, Herbert grasps your neck and holds you over the side of his fort. Gasps are heard from below.

"OH MY GOSH!"  
"LOOK! HERBERT HAS THAT PENGUIN!"  
"THE PENGUIN'S GONNA FALL!"  
"SOMEONE DO SOMETHING!"

You pound at his fist. Your efforts are futile. "Ha ha ha, now no one can save you now!"

You look down. Fear clenches your soul harder then Herbert's grasp. Panic rumbles in your stomach and spreads throughout your body. It was a very long way down…

Whatever you do Agent, do not panic. Even in times where it seems like a perfect time to panic, do not. You can't. You're stronger then they are, Ace.

Gary's words don't ease the stress. Herbert sneers at you, his grasp loosening every moment. Your team looks at you in distress, tears forming in their eyes. This was it… You've failed the Director. You've failed your team. You've failed Club Penguin. Most of all you've failed Ga-

A crack. A small crack, but it was a crack. It made the smallest noise possible. It came from Gary's tube. The world completely stopped for two seconds. Herbert looks at the tube in shock. His flipper had moved and ice chips were falling onto the tube's floor. Happiness flooded your body like a broken dam.

Gary could see you. He could comprehend what happening to you. Gary saw you on the edge and had the strength to move to try and rescue you. Gary was not unconscious. Gary was fully aware of what was going on.

"Arg, Klutzy!" Herbert shouted at his dim-witted sidekick, "TURN G'S CELL DOWN TO ZERO DEGREES!"

At that temperature-only in his lab coat-Gary was sure to freeze to death, chemical or no chemical. No. You're so close. Gary is not dieing.

Not today.

Anger rumbles inside you, making your face hot and your body shaking. You don't know what's happening. All you know is that you're mad… very very mad.

_"LEAVE. MY. GARY._  
_**ALONE!**_"

Blood boiling in your veins and adrenaline stronger then any steroid enables you to break Herbert's firm grasp on your neck. Pain throbs in your neck area but you don't feel it. You don't feel yourself running. You're so lost in your rage you only feel your flipper slam against Klutzy's body. The poor crab, fallen victim to your rage, falls on the floor, unconscious.

"KLUTZY!" Herbert yells, but then shrugs it off. "Pah! No matter! The island will freeze shortly enough! YOU'RE TOO LATE, AGENT ACE! CLUB PENGUIN IS FINISHED!"

It was a risky race against time. Ice was formed everywhere. The fires were getting dimmer. Penguins everywhere were hiding in buildings. Club Penguin would be destroyed by the very essence of it.

"YOU'LL NEVER MAKE IT! YOU'RE TOO LATE!"

Your flippers shakily access the final security breech. The machine hums next to you. Ignoring the deadly device, you swish your flippers around in a desperate attempt to unlock the breech. Of course the hardest one would be at the end. Herbert's enormous footsteps pounded behind you, but were stopped by your team. That's my girl You think as Val's ninja shriek makes your ears throb.

The clock was ticking. Beep. Beep. Beep. Ten seconds until the island froze over. The last block was almost in place so the key had a sure place to go!

Eight… Seven… Six…

"THERE IS NO HOPE! GIVE IT UP! THERE'S NO HOPE LE-! MMMMPH!" Herbert's voice was muffled by Valerie tugging her bandana around his mouth. Herbert's wrong… this island is full of hope. Very little, yes, but not completely gone. Ice crackled as it formed on the edges of the building. Sweat beaded on your forehead despite the cold. You wiped them away. Focus agent focus!

Five… Four… Three.. Two…

You swiped your flipper across the screen. The key was in place. The final security breech shut down. You slam your flipper down on the SELF DESTRUCT button.

One…

The island froze over. Every bit of Club Penguin was covered in ice. Not one bit was free… No… it's not over… it doesn't end like this…

The terrible machine beeped. Then sparked. You run away from it. Joining your team, you all hold each other's flippers. Finally, with a flash of electricity and a thunderous ear-bleeding boom, the machine was destroyed. There's a pause. You comprehend what's going on as the cloud's depart… Light? Real sun light? The idea was foreign from so many dark days. Valerie squeaks and Jay and Gunner cheer. You grin as the clouds depart more and the warm sunlight hits your face. Yes, this was real sunlight.

You down at the penguins below you. Their eyes fill with something you hadn't seen in a while.

Hope. Their eyes looked up at the sun with a joy that can only be described as hope. Hope for a better future, hope for the ice to melt, hope that the sun will always shine again. You always knew it was there, hidden behind layers of sadness and grief, but now the coldness washed away at the hope was back! They cheer and cheer, taking off their coats to feel the warmth more efficiently.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Herbert screams in defeat. Gunner kicks his jaw.

All the penguins gathered below cheer and cheer. A warmness spreads throughout your body. It wasn't just the sun, it was a feeling of accomplishment, a feeling of love, and a feeling of success… Now, all of your paychecks every month seem empty. To provide this much happiness and hope to your penguin family, this was a real compensation. And this one would last a lifetime.

You feel like your forgetting something…

Oh gosh! You jump up and fall on your beak as you remember your beloveds are still trapped in their tubes! Rubbing your now sore beak, you pick yourself up clumsily and run to the control pad. With a shaky hand, you press the UNFREEZE button for the units.

Alarms wail and twirl around. All the crabs scatter, much to Herbert's displeasure. Warm mists fill the frozen tubes, unfreezing the captured and setting them free. Your team cheers.

Valerie runs over to Dot, who begins to stand, rubbing her head. Valerie gives her a huge hug and then walks her over to the floor, where they sit down and Valerie explains excitedly everything that's happened. Dot still looks dazed and tired, but she tries to listen anyway.

Jay runs over to Rookie and gives him a hug, too. Rookie rubs his acing head as Jay walks him away. Jay gives Rookie a heat pack for his head. The two just sit together in silence, enjoying each other's company. Then, Jay shows Rookie his bracelet. Rookie goes red, and Jay smiles. Rookie smiles too.

Once Jetpack is thawed, Gunner races over to his mentor like a puppy who's waiting hours for his owner to come home. Gunner tries to maintain his "tough guy" attitude but breaks down when Jet is set free. Gunner fist bumps Jet, but then after a few seconds squeezes him tight. Tears start to well up in both their eyes as you turn your head from the two, to give them some privacy.

"G!" You yell as the inventor is completely thawed from his icy jail. You gallop to him as he stumbles out of his tube. He looks faint as you take him in your arms. You start to peck him. You can't help it! You're so happy and in love you begin to kiss everywhere on his head. Your beak kisses his cheeks, his forehead, in between his glasses, the part where his face forms the beak, and finally his flippers. Not caring who sees you, you take your love in your arms, and cry happily.

Starting to wake up, Gary makes a groan of consciousness. Excitement bounces around in your stomach and forces you to smile. Giddiness makes you arms tingle and your feet cold. He starts to sit and makes some panicked noises that sound like, "A'ent… Don'… Fulh… P'eahse…Hul'… Yu… " you translate it into, "Agent… Don't… Fall… Please… Help… You…" You start to giggle.

"Shush shush shhhh…" You hush softly and lovingly, "It's alright Gary. The island is safe. Herbert is defeated."

"Agent…" He blinks multiple times and smiles to the warmth of the sun. The information-now seeped in and understood-makes Gary grin and his eyes sparkle. "You did it. You saved the island. You saved us." He says with a weak flip of his wrist he motions towards the agents and ordinary penguins alike.

"Aw, it was nothing." You say quietly. Gary leans up slowly. He then takes you in a weak hug. To feel the inventor's arms around you makes you heart race, your throat closes and your legs feel like jelly. You start to blush uncontrollably. Gunner and JPG make kissy faces at you, Jay and Rookie wink, and Val and Dot hold their cheeks and whisper "awwww!"

Rookie whispers loudly to Jay, "Why are we winking, Jay?"  
"Aw, you'll know more about that in a couple years, Rook."

You give them a "you're-embarrassing-me" look. Well, your secret's out now. Gary leans back up. "I'm happy you're OK Ace."

"Please!" you say, certain the blush is still there, "I should be ecstatic that you're ok! Being frozen for a week and a half!"

"Pah!" He swats his flipper, "You think the 'great gadget guy' can be stopped by water in its solid state? I'm offended, agent." He chuckles while you giggle like a kindergartener.

After an awkward silence that was full of tiny giggles, you take a deep breath. After a long ice-age hindering you from telling the truth, you finally have the courage to do this… maybe. "Well, um, Gary…"

"Yes, agent?" He smiles.

Damnit! Your heart feels like it's on fire, blazing with love. Your throat starts to close again. You feel word vomit coming on…

Oh no you don't. You just saved the island from an icy doom with your bare flippers so there's no way a stupid facial expression is going to stop you!

"Gary I've been meaning to tell you this for a very long time now…"

"Go on." he says, leaning forward and raising his eyebrows. You choke on your words. Your flippers twitch with anxiousness. Your fellow agents stare at you like they're watching an intense soap opera. This was so much easier in your head…

"Gary!" You sit up straight and take his flippers. You feel your face getting redder and redder and see a blush starting on his face, too. You close your eyes and hope for the best. Here goes nothing.

"Gary the Gadget Guy, I-I love you! I love you with all my heart! I love your eyes, your smile, your love of inventing! I love your awkward dancing! I love how you adore science and inventing! I love that twinkle in your eyes when you have a brilliant idea and when a wonderful invention of your works!" Your eyes pop open. He doesn't look disgusted or like he's going to need a bucket (more or less), so you go on, "Ever since the day I met you I knew you were the one for me. The days that you were frozen were the worst days of my entire life! I missed your smile, your briefing, your lessons and little tips! I missed seeing your bright face in the morning, I even missed you're tinkering with your inventions!"

You squeeze his flippers and whisper the last part, "I love you, Gary the Gadget Guy. I always will love you." You put your head down in embarrassment. Gary sat there, stunned into inaction. Your face is probably a sea of red but you don't care. Your heart pounds against your chest and your stomach flips with every blink his eyes make. You look down in total embarrassment at your flippers, and your stomach does a triple flip when you realize your flippers are still grasping Gary's, probably for dear life.

"I-I'm s-sorry if, if I ma-made you uncomfortable-ble, G." You say sadly.

Then, Gary picks up your chin tentatively. The touch is enough to erupt a thousand fireworks in your stomach. Trembling some, he half smiles warmly. "Oh, well, urm, agent. Ta-take a breath." He chuckles. The fireworks don't stop. You stumble on your words, "Bu-but I- ah."

"I have a response..." He says, quietly. You almost faint, "Because, urm…" he takes a breath, "In my brain, a group of neuro-transmitters or 'monoamines', consisting of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin were released a few months ago. Then, a hormone released by my nerves, called Vasopressin, made my flippers clammy and heart racing."

"Um…" was all you could peep.

"Sorry, Ace." He grabs your flippers which makes you smile like an idiot, "Long story short… it means that, well, I love you, too."

In the background, "Awww…"

Did he… Buh he… What?

He… he loves me TOO?

You're so full of happiness, hope, love and excitement that you don't notice him wriggling free. You're so distracted by Gary's kind words that you don't see him fuming. Gary's warm flipper in yours makes you completely unaware of Herbert's rage.

"YOU… STUPID… PENGUIN!"

You look up. Horror fills your face as Herbert comes charging at you two. "YOU RUINED MY PERFECT PLAN! WHY SHOULD YOU HAVE A HAPPY ENDING!" Herbert's rage scares the living day lights out of you. Gary's flipper clenches yours in a protective way. He pushes you behind him.

"TAKE THIS, GADGET GUY!" Herbert's fist comes back. You barely know what you are doing. The panic on Gary's face gives you a horrific nightmarish flashback of you when you first saw the tape of his kidnapping. No! You will NEVER have Gary suffer ANYTHING like that again!

Herbert's fist comes right at your love. Everything's moving so fast, you hardly recognize yourself pushing Gary away. Your body is in direct line with Herbert, and before you realize it, Herbert's fist punches your jaw. Hard..

The pain was horrific. Excruciating pain worse then anything you've ever felt before hit your jaw, which shakes your whole head, leaving your brain a jumbled mess. A crack is heard and you're in so much pain you can't hear yourself scream in agony. The red ribbon that was tied on your flipper loosens and falls off. It waves like a banner in the wind. Then, it was gone… snatched away by wind.

Your body leaves the ground. You fly up and over the edge, but then down towards the ground, your head facing the sky. You pass by Gary and Herbert. Gary still looks stunned, unable to comprehend what happened. Herbert, dido. The wind howls by your face. A warm, metal tasting, sticky liquid fills you mouth. It fills so fast that you let your beak open, setting it free. So much flies out of your mouth, but you hardly notice. Your torment is enough to make a bull elephant unconscious. Your face scrunches in agony from Herbert's blow. More and more blood leaves your beak, leaving a red ribbon in the air as you fall. Again, you can't hear yourself scream in terror or the other penguins scream in fright as the ground becomes closer and closer.

BAM! Your body hits the ground. Snow flies up everywhere and you hear ice cracks. So much pain runs through your entire body. You can't feel anything besides pain. Pain, pain everywhere. Distress running through your veins, everywhere is in misery, pain making you sleepy…

"Wha-what have I done… I never meant to…" Herbert's voice rings in your ears. It doesn't make any sense to you. Empty words, all of it. Your mind is so scrambled and so distracted by the deadly pain and anguish that nothing makes sense except two things: your damage and fear of dying.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" You hear your beloved scream. Again, empty words. You have no idea what anyone is saying. The pain is getting more and more, until some of it goes numb. Some incoherent statements are shrieked by your team. More empty words are made by surrounding onlookers. Your eyes get heavier and heavier until they're the weight of bricks. Now, nothing makes sense but keeping your eyes open. Sirens wail in the background, which only makes your migraine worse. Your chest heaves up and down as if lifting heavy weights. You wish it could all stop… You feel your body being lifted. You hope you're not dying.

The tormenting weight of 1O sacks of coffee beans… The agonizing weight of 2O anvils…

You finally fall victim to your pain and fatigue and blackout sweeps you away.


	5. Chapter 5: AFTERMATH

**CHAPTER FIVE: AFTERMATH**

**SORRY SORRY SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE!**  
**Two words: Christmas and Midterms.**  
**Enough said? **  
**Let's just say Midterms are not your friends when you take AP courses. I thought becoming your local Walmart cashier would be a better option. **

**Anyway…I wrote out chapter 2-4 before hand, and well I forgot I actually had to write this one out. Go brilliant me! *facedesk***

**Aww! You guys are seriously the best reviewers I have ever had ^-^ Anyway, thanks you guys for making this story possible. I seriously could not have done this without you! **

**Welcome to the last chapter! I know, I left off chapter 4 with a cliff hanger *maniacal laugh* 'cus I'm evil like that.**

**Also I had severe writer's block on this one. Like, it was really really bad. I had no idea what I was going to do with the end. I think I rewrote it, like, twenty times. UGH. If you like it, review. If not, whatever.**

** WADDLE ON!**

* * *

Shining, warm sunlight hits your eyes as you squint to keep them from burning. The light was painfully bright. You try to move your flipper to cover your sensitive eyes. However, a sharp acing pain keeps it glued to the…

Wait, where were you? You open your eyes all the way (despite the pain that came with it), and hear buzzing and murmuring people. As your ears and eyes adjust more, you notice penguins around in scrubs and also a fuzzy blue character running to keep up.

What seems to be a wet rag rubs your forehead and your beak. Oh God… You almost get sick when you remember the red ribbon flowing in front of you…

You blink many times to get your eyes in focus. Just that simple action requires so much energy. Aha, now the world was more clear. You see that there are doctor penguins surrounding you. The blue character melts your heart as you realize it's Gary.

"A'IGHT PEOPLE MOVE IT MOVE IT I GOTTA INJURED PENGWIN OVA 'ERE."

The main doctor's thick voice rings through your ears. Your head pounds in an unimaginable pain. "Oooo." You groan.

"Hey, boss look the penguin's waking up!"

"Oh th'ank Gowd, I thought I had'a coma on my 'flippahs."

Coma? Your heart beats in shock as you suddenly remember everything that's happened. The hit, the fall… Everywhere is sore and acing. You look at Gary and move your flipper a painful inch towards him. "Garrr…"

"Agent? Oh God I'm here don't worry. I have your flipper." The warm feathers grab yours gently. A little bit a pain goes away.

The doctors take your gurney to the Lighthouse where the hospital is still set up. Penguins gasp and wish you well. You try to nod but it's too painful. Some just look at you and nod respectfully.

They finally stop guiding your gurney into a private room. The nurses close the curtains and Gary is asked to leave.

"N-no!" You try to yell but it comes out a weak peep. Your throat hurts. Your head kills. Everywhere is so painful. The doctor shrugs, "Can yah stand the sight ah blood, Gar?"

"I'll be fine." He gulps. The doctor shrugs again and order the nurses to get his supplies. A nurse gives Gary a heat pack. "You've been frozen a long time. Take this. It'll stop the shivers." Gary takes it gratefully.

"Garrr…" You croak. The doctor huffs playfully. Gary looks at you with concern. A nurse reads off a clipboard, "From an analysis, Agent's got a broken jaw, fractured wing, fractured skull, a broken rib, dislocated foot, dislocated shoulder, internal bleeding, Jeez, the whole spine needs attention…" You tune her out. The list of damages is making you sick. It looks like Gary needs a sick bucket, too.

"A'ight, Agent Brave-Flippahs. We're gonna start now. This might hurt jus' a little…"

A little prick in your upper arm makes you scrunch your face in pain, but then you relax. The pain slowly decreases, to your enjoyment. Ah, that's much better. The soreness is slowly being soothed.

"You'll wake up soon. Promise." You smile as you peacefully exhale. So much peace… You could just fall asleep. That seems like a nice idea. The last thing you see is Doctor with a kind face and Gary smiling at you. You close your eyes with a smile and exhale peacefully as darkness claims you once more. But this time, with the intention of waking up.

* * *

"So, G, what happened while I was out?"

He waddles over to you cheerfully and holds a Styrofoam cup full of steaming coffee. "Ace!" He says, with that pet name that still stuck after Dot had called you that so many years ago.

"Hey, G." You say. He gives you a gentle hug and sits next to you. "You've been out a while, hon."

Hon. Now it was official. You giggle stupidly again, "I know. Seven hours." You sigh. Late at night, some doctors and nurses staid behind to comfort those suffering from Frost Bite.

"I'm surprised you don't have it, G." You say sadly. He nods, "Well, I guess that Chemical Ice did the trick."

"Chemical Ice? Jay told you?" Gary nods peacefully. "Can it be used to heal Frost Bite?" you say excitedly.

He nods. "It's worked on three penguins so far." You grin. "Something good did happen from that episode, then."

"Yes." He nods. You sigh contently, "Now, it's story time!" You lean forward gently, "Tell me what happened while I was getting fixed." He defensively tells you that he was there beside you the whole time. You raise your eyebrows slightly, "I know you can't stand blood or organs, Gary." You chuckle, "and they cut me open right along here…" You trace your stomach and Gary waves his flippers at you, looking slightly green.

"Alright! Don't make me sick, Agent." he chuckles.

"And they had to staple my wound back shut, and there was blood everywhere-"

"AAAAAAAAAAACE." Gary wines, looking ill. You laugh despite the pain, "Alright I'll let you talk now…"

"Hurmph." he huffs playfully. "Well, now that's no fun just listening to me."

"Gaaaaary…"

He smiles, "Good night, Ace. I'll be back in the morning." With a kiss planted on your forehead, he take his coffee and leaves. You pout as he winks and walks out the door. "I'll be back tomorrow. Promise."

You lean back in your hospital bed. "Wow, Gary." You shake your head.

However, you can't seem to get those sparks in your stomach to stop. You sigh, "This is going to be a long night.."

Curse Gary's charm!

* * *

The next morning you wake up to a beeping monitor and a warm light. Memories flood back into your mind. That all happened yesterday?

You recap: organizing a team, moving your team into the building, shutting down terminals, defeating Herbert, saving the island, professing your love, getting almost killed by Herbert, life saving surgery, talking with Gary.

Jesus you have good time management.

You brush yourself off and sit up. "Arg!" You say as a sharp pain makes the monitor go nuts. You roll your eyes and lean back.

"Morning, Ace!" A cheerful voice says as Dot pulls the curtain back. You smile, "Hi, Dot." You say. Your voice is horse from a long nights sleep. An equally cheery Valerie comes in, too, carrying a bunch of flowers and some chocolates. "Hi Boss!" She says. Her smile is contagious. You say just as horse, "Hi, Val. I didn't get the chance to tell you, but you were amazing yesterday." Valerie flips her red hair, "Haha! Really? I didn't think so. I just hid and stuff…"

"No, my little apprentice," Dot says ruffling her hair, "You did well. I taught you amazingly well." Valerie giggles.

They sit down on chairs next to you and talk about the newspaper. "They are freaking flippen' out about you two!" Dot says, grinning.

"Yeah," Valerie adds, "They even have couple names flying around like 'Garcey' and 'Acary.' how weird is that?" You roll your eyes and laugh. "I think 'Garcey' is my favorite." Valerie says.

"You're so weird!" Dot says, "Acary is totally cuter!"

A few hours of debating and making up more names later, Gunner and Jet come into your room. "Hey, how's my favorite boss doing?" Gunner says and winks at you. You laugh, "Hi Gunner. You were simply fantastic yesterday." Gunner salutes you. Valerie makes a purr. Gunner blushes.

"Hello, Ace. I assume you're doing well?"

"Yes, JPG, I'm fine." You say. Dot takes the flowers the men gave you and they take up chairs, too. All the flowers look amazing in the sun. Sometimes, it's hard to believe that it's the sun that had been saved by you four. Just four little penguins, made all the difference.

Around lunchtime, Rookie and Jay shyly enter your hospital room. Nurses extend your quarters to allow more room for all your visitors. "Hi, everyone." Jay says, "We brought pizza!"

Rookie smiles and fumbles with a folded piece of paper, "H-here, Ace, I made you this… I mean, I know, you probably got amazing things like, urm, flowers and presents and stuff…"

"Rookie!" you exclaim, "It's wonderful!" The card had you and Rookie together, in comic form. You laugh, first panel was you and Rookie finding the missing coins. Then, you capturing Rookie with the golden puffle. The panels were all the adventures you and Rookie had together. You smile at the last panel, which was you and Rookie hugging. A note beside it said, "Thanks being the best boss ever and putting up with all of my mistakes. Get well soon!"

Tears well up in your eyes. "Thanks, Rookie." You say and make an effort to give the youngster a hug. "You're welcome, Ace." He says shyly. They sit down and again you talk and talk about the island and how it will rebuild itself. Hope again fills your heart. Never again will the island suffer like did these past weeks. You vow against it.

You and your friends joke around, sing songs and welcome other visitors into your room. More and more flowers fill up vases and home-made and store bought cards alike fill up your window sill.

Now, the island will heal itself. Slowly and surely, every penguin will be feeling the same amount of hope, love and happiness you are feeling.

* * *

It was around closing hours for visitors when everyone started to leave your room. You lean back, only to shoot back up again. Ignoring the pain inside your stomach, you sink your head down depressingly.

Gary never showed up today.

You sigh sadly. Well, maybe he was just busy. The Director is a busy penguin and probably just wanted some help.

But the Director would never keep Gary for fourteen hours working.

You wonder where he is. He'll show up, eventually. There was still an hour until security came. Gary would show up…

You twiddle your thumbs, hum a tune, write a poem, create a new sign language and eat a cupcake in the time you're waiting for your beloved.

But still, no show.

Around midnight, you give up hope that he'll show today. You sigh sadly, and close your eyes… Surely he'll be here tomorrow...

You're just about to drift off into slumber but a frantic voice wakes you up.

"…wait! Just please let me in! I know I'm late but… Oh please please please please! With a carbon-based molecule on top!"

"Look, Gary, I'm real sorry," She pops her gum, "But it's way past visiting hours. You can visit tomorrow at six, though."

You move yourself groggily. You rub your eyes to wake up, "Gary?"

"Ace?"

The nurse waddles over to you, "Is he your companion?"

"Uh, what.. Oh yeah yes, yes he is."

She looks at you. You stare back. Shrugging indifferently, she waddles back to the door and says, "Alright. Whatever."

You sit up slowly and rub the sleep out of your eyes. Gary waddles over to you. You can't help but smile. Finally, you see him again.

He waddles over to you as you cough. "Hey Gary." You say sleepily.

"Oh, agent I'm terribly sorry I'm so late!" he plays with the end of his lab coat as he closes the curtain behind him, "I-I just wanted to make sure this present was… in a sense, perfect."

Then, he pulls out a book from his bag. It was small, homemade, and had a leather binding that looked like it was sewn. "Gar…" You manage to say without choking up, "It's wonderful!"

"Open it." He says eagerly, urging you to see what's inside. To tease him, you open the cover as slow as you can. You soon realize that you're teasing yourself for you want to know what's inside! Gary taps his flippers together.

"I-I knew you wanted to see the island, but I was afraid it would be fixed before you were allowed out, so I ha, I uh-"

"Gary just shush." You smile and put your flipper up to his beak. He blushes and you giggle. He laughs, too.

You flip open the cover to see a title page, written in Gary's (sloppy, but he was trying) handwriting, "The Healing Of Club Penguin. To: My sweetheart From: Gary the Gadget Guy."

Your heart melts at 'my sweetheart.' Aw, Gary is so sweet! He stutters, "I-I'm sorry, I didn't want-I was afraid I'd come on too strong-"

"Gary, it's perfect. I love it." You say, heart beating fast. Gary half smiles.

You flip the page to see a journal entry. You read, "_Dear Ace, I would like to start by saying that you are my beloved. You're my one and only. I hope this book show this. -Gary."_

You almost cry. All of these months in the past dreaming of this moment, when you and Gary are happy together…

You look at the next page. Day 1: 7 o'clock in the A.M. Club Penguin is healing itself slowly. Herbert's base has been terminated.

He picture next to it was of ninjas-normal, water and fire alike-holding a force field around an explosion. Six tubes are beginning to shatter. You nod your head. those disgraceful items should be destroyed. The Director over sees it. You picture the Director smiling in approval. Her island and agency will be better soon.

The pages after that showed the island as it transformed from a hopeless wasteland to a home. The docks removed the puffle care station and set up benches and picnic tables. Perfect for a relaxing afternoon! The Town and the Plaza's ice melted away to reveal a beautiful new sparkling scene. The ice was used to make smoothies at the Café for half off. The Blue and Red team used all the extra snow to bigger and better their beloved snow forts. The eternal battle between blue and red would now carry on.

Everyone is getting ready for Christmas. It is the most wonderful time of the year!

The next picture was of Rory taking out Christmas boxes, and other workers playfully shooing away reporters and Gary. You chuckle. "Gary… This is amazing! I can't believe you did this!"

"Well, you did make this all happen-"

He was interrupted abruptly by you pulling his lab coat closer to you. His breath slowed down to silent whispers as he catches himself, but soon realizes that his body is hovering over yours at about four or five inches. His flippers trembled some as they supported himself over your body. You trembled slightly too, although what you're doing seems natural and (although naughty) completely right. His breath barely whispers your name as you feel his heart pumping against yours:

"Ace…"

Your response surprises even yourself, but seems completely right…

"Oh shut up and kiss me."

Your eyes open wide as he obeys, pressing his soft beak against yours. His arms collapse as he wraps them around your head, enveloping you. Your beak moves gently with his, as your eyes close to further feel the warmth and love of this amazing display of affection. You barely know what you are doing, but you lift your arms and wrap them around his shoulder frame. _Mmm,_ you hum. Gary smiles. You still do not part

You don't break apart for what seems like an eternity.

"I'm glad I finally found you, Gary."

* * *

**Hope y'all liked it!**

**Aw, it's the end.**

**=(**

**You know… I don't like it to end here… hmmm…**

**See y'all soon ;) **


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